Best Ranged Damage Custom Party

billbisco

Dear all,

I'm wondering what you all think would be the most effective ranged damage custom party?

I'm thinking

6 Archer (Ranger) X Characters

or

6 Assassin 4 / Fighter X Characters

Is there a better class combination / method to getting high consistent ranged damage?

Thanks,

Bill

Abi_Dalzim

You need a mage/sorcerer somewhere for Improved Haste support. Maybe a dual-classed Fighter/Mage would be optimal, but with a six person party, I, at least, would be okay with one person not contributing so directly to DPS.

Also, might want an Archer/Cleric dual class to focus on slings, although I've only ever heard about going that route without doing it myself, so I can't give much advice on it.

Skatan

I haven't done any math, but:

Half-orc Kensai with daggers -> Fire tooth
Elf Archer with xbow -> Firetooth
Elf Archer with longbow -> heartseeker
Elf Archer with shortbow -> gesens
Halfling/Half-orc Fighter with GM in Slings

The sixth slot would be a skald with maybe darts, a sorc for some IH boons or another ranged character like an assassin->Fighter using darts or whatever if you don't want sorcs/skalds etc.

gorgonzola

My suggestion is a variation of the party proposed by @Skatan.
Kensai9->Mage with daggers -> Fire tooth, IH, Simulacrum (IH + simulacrum = 4x APR, the simmi is self sufficient for IH and can even haste some other guy ), debuffing enemies, summoning meat shields.
Elf Archer with xbow -> Firetooth
Elf Archer with longbow -> heartseeker
Elf Archer with shortbow -> gesens
Multi F/C as he loose GM but slings get STR bonus and he can go for 25STR with no problem. And some divine casting better than the basic one from rangers is needed. Is also good for summoning meat shields and late game can use Energy Blades as an alternative for GWW that are limited in number. less damaging than fighter with GM not buffed, but better when buffed and with a lot of buffing capability. Late game sling + GWW + DUHM + RM is crazy damaging, I didn't made calculations but it should be in the range of 300-400 damage/round

The sixth slot would be a skald to give the bard song bonus and some more IH and arcane power or a sorcerer that uses PI and later PI + Improved Alacrity to IH everybody for some major fights.

This way is a ranged oriented party, but better balanced, as you only lack of a thief, but arcane and divine magic is well covered.

Grond0

A skald will certainly significantly increase the overall damage of the party. A sorcerer using MMMs will also do high damage as well as proving others with haste / improved haste - though you would need to rest regularly to benefit fully from that.

The problem with using an all-archer party (which I've done) is the lack of anyone good at either tanking or resisting disabling effects. Including a berserker would solve both of those and a berserker would anyway hold its own in terms of providing ranged damage throughout BG1, though there would be something of a gap by late in BG2.

gorgonzola

Grond0 said:

A sorcerer using MMMs will also do high damage

Sadly my Sorc misses a lot of times in late game, unless he spam some webs and a GM, that with a ranged party is ideal.

Grond0 said:

as well as proving others with haste / improved haste - though you would need to rest regularly to benefit fully from that.

true, but only until lev 7 spells come into scene as each PI can haste almost the whole party.

Grond0 said:

The problem with using an all-archer party (which I've done) is the lack of anyone good at either tanking or resisting disabling effects. Including a berserker would solve both of those.

This is true and making the multi F/C in the party that I proposed a Berseker->Cleric would address the thing. Is a good tank when needed, and the kensage can help him with his stoneskins and pfmw, and can provide clerical spells like chaotic commands and party buffs.

Abi_Dalzim

One thing I forgot to mention that an arcane caster would provide is Enchanted Weapon support, since it now would allow normal arrows/bullets to count as +3 weapons, the lack of which has traditionally been a big problem for ranged characters pre-TOB.

Lord_Tansheron

Just find the 6 best ranged weapons first. My guess for the unmodded game would be Gesen Bow, Tuigan Bow, Firetooth, Fire Tooth, and... uh... 2 slings? Not sure. Can't look up as my game is too heavily modded.

For throwing, Kensai is the real deal; can also be combined with Mage to get the silly buffs. For slings, Cleric comes to mind due to DuHM, but Archer probably works as well. For bow/crossbow, Archer seems uncontested.

Grond0

Incidentally, archers have been mentioned quite a bit, but nothing's been said about their called shot. At 4th level a party with several archers will have even powerful enemies requiring a critical to hit within a round or two. At 8th level those pesky mages will suddenly fail all their saving throws, while the prize comes at 12th level when enemies suddenly lose the will (strength) to live .

Abi_Dalzim

Grond0 said:

Incidentally, archers have been mentioned quite a bit, but nothing's been said about their called shot. At 4th level a party with several archers will have even powerful enemies requiring a critical to hit within a round or two. At 8th level those pesky mages will suddenly fail all their saving throws, while the prize comes at 12th level when enemies suddenly lose the will (strength) to live .

Another reason to combine this setup with a sorcerer, so you can combine Called Shot with some save or die spells.

Lord_Tansheron

Honestly, with an enfilade of archers I think most things will be dead before the save penalty matters. In the unmodded game, Archers ANNIHILATE pretty much everything up to ToB, at which point they are "merely" very good.

Also seems a bit counter to the original idea to take a wimpy Sorcerer along. Rather go KenMage and throw some death around!

Abi_Dalzim

I'll admit, I've never even used more than one Archer in a party before. It just feels so...overkill.

Grum

(1) Half Elf Skald (party face, song buff in combat and spell buffs out of combat. Also party tank with stoneskin/mirror image)
(2) Elf Archer with Gesen
(3) Half Orc Kensai with Fire tooth dagger (or the Brick! Returning throwing hammer that screws up mages)
(4) Halfling Assassin with darts (the returning one and darts of wounding. Poison! Also finds traps)
(5) Human Fighter->Cleric with slings (grand mastery, healing, buff spells. Can also summon undead chaff)
(6) Inquisitor with Firetooth Crossbow (why? True sight and quick dispelling. Protect your skald from dispels and let him tank. Then dispel all enemy buffs while you now them down. Enemy wizard? Dispel his protections and fill him with arrows)

All the best ranged weapons, a balanced party, a good mix of races. And best of all if the enemy does close in? Fighter/Cleric switches to hammer/shield and can tank. The paladin has his signature great sword. The kensai is still a fighter. Your party can do fine up close too.

Lord_Tansheron

Not a big fan of darts in BG2. Hear they are great in BG1, but there really aren't any great darts around in BG2 (unless you want to cheese the darts that are supposed to disappear), are there?

Abi_Dalzim

The only reason darts are good in BG1 IMO is because of those darts with extra energy damage. 3 APR plus 1d6 additional damage per hit is pretty impressive for that game. But those don't exist in the second game, so Darts of Stunning will occasionally find their use, but otherwise I wouldn't bother. Certainly, the Crimson Dart seems less impressive now that Enchanted Weapon fills the same function for any weapon.

I'll add that poison seems overrated to me. Against spellcasters, great. Otherwise, why wait for your enemy's demise? It's good for Blackguards and Assassins because it's a free bonus, but weapons like those darts and arrows of wounding/biting aren't worth the bother against normal opponents.

Grum

Even against normal opponents it is damage added every second. It slows their walking animation and it adds up. Stack on hits and watch it pile on. Against dragons for example I find poison to be killer.